It’s Bottoms Up Out West, Not so Much in Eastern Canada

If you need further evidence there’s a two-speed economy in Canada, take a look at alcohol sales.

The booze has been flowing in western Canada, particularly in Alberta where citizens of the oil-rich province are developing a thirst for wine. Meanwhile, sales of beer, wine and spirits are tepid in eastern Canada — led by an outright decline in receipts in Quebec, Canada’s second-biggest province and a place with a reputation for joie de vivre.